Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-03

tertaining too, if one has the time, to
watch the antics of the flock when they
breakfast this way. There are industri-
Gus hens, lazy hens and thisvish hens,
and their peculiarities sre all brought out
under this treatment. One hen will be-
gin scratshing, while a thievish associate
standing by will, for while, pick up
every grain she uncovers. Then, when
the workers patience is quite gone, she
will pitch into the intruder, jerk out a
mouthful of feathers, whack her over the
head until she fees, and then resume
business. Sometimes, however, it must
be confessed the victory is not to the
honest hen, but to the other. But at any
rate they are furnished with good en-
ployment and in the natural way. The
rubbish is scratched over hundreds of
times, especially in summer, when many
creeping insects and bugs resort to
it as hiding place. the hens like to
hunt them as we'll as grain, or even bet
ter, and what they get IN this way saves
the owner on his meat bill. Such grain
as may not be found in some weeks
sprouts perhaps, and thus furnish another
variety of food. When yard is kept
well supplied with rubbish for several,
years, fine compost is formed some
inches thick, which can be carted away
and applied when needed, Or ploughed
under on the spot for the benefit of trees.
A flock of fowls treated in this way are
really worth more as composers than
swine are on manure heap, unless the
latter are starved into the appreciation of
root, hog, Or die" My hen-house floor
is usually covered with several inches of
sawdust and when ''long spell of weather"
makes it injudicious to scatter grain out
of doors [ scatter it over the sawdusG
first turning the fowls out few minutes)
make pile of it with grain mixed
through it, and then invite the hens in.
They come pell-melI, and the way they
level down such pile in half an hour Or
less is curious to behold. The advan-
tage is in the employment and exercise
furnished, and desire to impress upon
all beginners, as well as some others who
have neglected it, that employment for
confined fowls is very important matter.
Such people, as an excuse for neglect
or laziness, are always referring to ma
ture, and claiming that her processes
must be very closely followed as to live
stock. For instance, in state of nature
fowls roost in trees, suppose and "roosS
high' at that. But trees are not neces-
sary to success with poultry-a good,
comfortable hen-house is better. In
state of nature fowls never get cooked
food, but when domesticated nothing is
better than the cooked refuse of the ia
BILE. In winter, too, they dearly love a
shot mash," and it is not wise to refuse it
because they don't get it when running
wild. Take about equal parts of bran
and corn meal, with some buckwheat or
oats; scald them with boiling water, stir
ring well; cover half an hour or less, and
see how they will Ego for it" on frosty
morning. If at first they burn themselves
little, they soon learn how to manage it,
and take in cold air along with a hot
mouthful. AS to compelling them to eat
snow for water, or to drink ice water, that
is another cruelty; tepid water is a great
deal better, just as it is, indeed, for COWS
and horses. They are generally cold
enough on a winters morning without
obliging them to eat cold victuals and
swallow cold drinks. At that time of day
the kitchen stove Or range is generally in
full activity, and hot water to scald a
mash for the biddies can be made without
much Inconvenience. Whole dry grain
can be fed later, and crop full of corn
is good to retire with at shutdown. Bat
whole corn must be guarded against. It
is cheap and convenient, but an undue
proportion causes excessive internal fat,
and seriously interferes with egg produc-
ton and other functions. Wheat, in its
various forms is better, and moderate por.
lions of buckwheat and oats always Judi
cious.
One other matter for fowls in confne-
,,,uot ho attended, RI in addition tn
food and water, which at large usually
requires no care at all. It is to supply
something for the grinding apparatus.
In the gizzard of every healthy fowl will
be found after death more or less hard
substances, usually gravel, with sharp Or
rough edges, which are essential to the
proper preparation of the food before
it becomes part Of the flesh or blood.
they will usually find all they need of
gravel, though the supply May become
exhausted after long confinement in the
same yard, particularly when it is small
When the earth outside andinside the
yard is covered with snow Or ice for
weeks and months, then is the time Of
all other PERIODS, when the work must
receive attention. Broken pebbles. brok-
Ell CTOCk0Iy, DlbS VI OIICh VI OlQ udI3
or almost anything that is hard and has
rough edge, will be swallowed in small
quantities, as instinct teaches the fowls to
search for it. They will, too, always eat
limited amount of finely crushed bones
which l suppose answers for both food
and grinding. Bones from animals late
ly butchered, full of grease and marrow,
and with adhering pieces of meat or
gristle, will always be eaten greedily
when crushed fine, and so ravenous are
the fowls for such diet that it is rather
dangerous to attempt to break the bones
in their presence unless the pounding
block or rock is elevated. They pay
little attention to the blows, but will at
tempt to seize the pieces when the ak or
hammer is falling, andif great care is
not exercised there will be some mashed
chicken heads. It is economical to crush
the bones as soon as the meat is off, as
then all matters are retained and add to
their value, while ayear or more of ex-
posure rmoves the softer matter and al
so makes it hard work to crush them.
A miscellaneous collection, or rather